3 Ingredients to Cruising Future

What did it take to get cruising restarted in the United States? The following three ingredients were at the core that made cruise resumption possible.

New Protocols 

The Healthy Sail Panel, a group of the best minds and leaders in public health, biosecurity, epidemiology, hospitality and maritime operations presented their recommendations to the CDC on behalf of the entire cruise industry.  Their 65-plus-page report includes 74 detailed best practices to protect the public health and safety of guests, crew and the communities where cruise ships call. Recommendations include testing, the use of face coverings, and enhanced sanitation procedures on ships and in terminals.

The CDC has published a framework for return to cruising and the cruise lines worked together with them to finalize the actual requirements to be implemented.

Reassuring Safe to Cruise (Click to Read More)

Technology

Existing and new technological innovations augment health and safety.  Guests will complete health questionnaires and other documents in advance of arrival at the pier making it possible to expedite the embarkation process while maintaining social distancing.  The latest medical testing methods will screen for illness prior to embarkation and during the cruise.  The intent is for passengers to embark healthy and disembark healthy as well.  For the majority of cruises, there is a requirement that passengers, that are eligible, be fully vaccinated.

On board the ship, technology will make it possible for planning which dining venues and entertainment options guests which to choose (based on current availability).  Need to find someone on the ship? An app or other device will give you their location.  These are just a few of the ways technology will play a part.

Travel Advisors

Throughout the cruising shutdown, we have kept in contact with our cruise line partners and helped our guests navigate the waters of cancellations, refunds, future cruise credits, and rebooking options.  The situation has been very fluid, sometimes with things changing daily.   The cruise lines listened to our feedback and made adjustments as needed.

As we return to cruising, we will continue to be your core source of the latest information, provided to us by our travel partners.  We will be spending an entire week in conference with all the top cruise and land providers, learning about how they intend to keep passengers, crew, and the public safe and healthy.  Watch for posts live from Celebrity Apex staring November 13th.

This is not the time for you to try to navigate these waters on your own.  Helping our guests make the best decisions for their situation is why we are in this profession.    Cruising is already the best vacation value, but it will be even greater when you combine that with our experience and guidance, along with exclusive offers that we have been given, in recognition of our importance to the resumption of travel.

Looking to the Future ...

There's much more to the story, so be sure to follow us for our continuing posts on this and other important industry topics.

 

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Oh What a Beautiful Morning Today's The Day

 

"We’re Back. Today We Set Sail On the First U.S. Cruise!” 

Richard Fain, Royal Caribbean International CEO couldn't help himself - he burst into song onboard Celebrity Edge as they prepare to sail for the first time from a U.S. port in 15 months.

“This is the first cruise and just one cruise, but it’s the start of something huge,” Fain said.

He equated the transition from winter to spring with that of the cruise industry returning to sailing from U.S. ports. He wanted to tell us that there would be smooth sailing and that he had all the answers from the CDC and ports of call, but he admitted that there's still a lot of uncertainty.  

“For example, we’re still not 100 percent sure about the specific protocols on specific sailings. Here in Florida we still don’t understand all the implications about the law about vaccination documentation,” Fain said.   He did indicate that 90% of passengers surveyed have either been vaccinated or intend to be, and that they are ready to resume cruising.

He thanked "all the people that helped us get to this amazing day".  He thanked the crews that stepped up repeatedly to get crews home safe and keep ships safe and operational.  He also thanked them for implementing the new protocols which build confidence that passengers will have a healthy and fun-filled experience back onboard their ships.

He also thanked passengers who have booked and rebooked cruises, some multiple times, with hopes that their cruise would sail.  "Up until now those hopes had been dashed but they were never crushed".

Finally, he thanked the travel partners for their efforts to keep their business strong during these tough times.  He mentioned that phones are beginning to ring again "and that's a happy sound for all of us". "Together we are going to get our way back to cruising".

 

He reported that he will be on Freedom of the Seas next weekend as well as that ship has it's first revenue sailing, having successfully completed the CDC mandated test cruise this past weekend.

Yes, Richard, this is a beautiful morning, and we are grateful that you have been at the helm, getting us to this historic day in the cruise industry.  Thank you and the entire Royal Caribbean family for all that you personally did to make this possible.

Watch this video for his complete remarks:

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Returning to Cruise First-Hand Account

In the 61st edition of Coffee Talk with Vicki Freed this morning, Royal Caribbean shared first-hand experiences from a travel agent guest, Beci Mahnken, who sailed on the first sailing of Adventure of the Seas from Nassau Bahamas.   

Recovery - Just Around Corner

As Beci, and the group of associates traveling with her, began their trip they were filled with weird emotions.  For months, just like us, they were engaged in "removal of dreams" as they processed cancellations.  They were very excited to get back to cruising as it signaled to them that recovery was just around the corner.  Journey with them as they embark on this 7 day voyage from Nassau. 

Bahamas Check-in

The cruise out of the Bahamas was with fully vaccinated crew and guests.  The test before traveling went away, so the only requirement was to complete the Bahamian Health Visa.  Completing this was easier than they had expected.  You fill the visa out on your phone by entering your information and uploading a copy of your vaccination card.  

There's about a 3-4 hour approval process.  

At your designated check-in time you show your vaccination card and passport.  An antigen test (nose swab) is done and you are taken to another room where your passport and documentation is checked.  The waiting time is about 20 minutes in this room.  You watch for your email to be posted which indicates a negative test.  Once this is completed you board a shuttle to the ship.

The main takeaway was that the entire process was seamless / easy with no stress.

Crew Happy to See Them

While the crew were all wearing masks, you could see the smiles through them as they greeted the guests onboard.  With  the limited capacity on the ship, the crew outnumbered passengers.  Walking around the ship they were greeted with "Welcome Home" and "Welcome Onboard".   They too are travel professionals in their own right who's main job is to help make dreams come true.  They missed doing that just like we missed putting our guests on cruises and land vacations.

Staterooms were cleaned twice a day, just as usual.  There was lots of emphasis on cleaning throughout the voyage.  Ships have always put emphasis on keep the ship clean and sanitary even before the pandemic.

Muster 2.0

One of the most noticeable changes in the embarkation process was the new and improved muster drill (safety briefing).   No longer to do you need to put your vacation on pause to gather for the safety briefing.  You simply watch the video on your phone's app or in your stateroom then at your leisure check-in at your assigned muster station.  

There you are given a 1-1 briefing of how to put on your life jackets and you have the ability to have any questions answered.  This is very helpful, especially for first time cruisers.

Once you've checked in, you'll have sticker placed on your card indicating completion of the briefing. We've been told that this modification to the briefing is here to stay even if some of the other protocols go away,

Onboard Experience

Since the ship sailed at 30% capacity it was like having the entire ship to yourself.  There were signs posted around the ship reminding guests about social distancing.  One change were elevators were limited to one group (maximum 4 guests) at a time, so you might have to wait awhile for an elevator.   It did beat being crammed into the elevators though.

Dining

There were a few changes with dining.  You could dine with anyone linked to your reservation.  Paper menus were on the table but if you weren't comfortable with that, there was  a QR code that you could scan to view an online version of the menu.

You are probably wondering about Windjammer (buffet).   The same great selections were available. The only difference was that the crew served you. This was also true at drink stations.  They saw this as  an improvement over having everyone's hands on the serving utensils as was the case in the past.  

Entertainment

The same wonderful shows as expected from Royal Caribbean's production company.  Some rows / seats were blocked off to allow for social distancing.   The same was true in the Casino where some machines were closed and tables had limited seating capacity.

Perfect Day at Coco Cay

All the thrills and chills of Royal Caribbean's private island awaited them as they arrived at Perfect Day at Coco Cay.  They decided to splurge and purchased on of the over water cabanas for the day.

The food was amazing including Filet Mignon, Lobster Tail, Chicken and Grouper.  They ate to their heart's content and enjoyed the cabanas immensely.   They highly recommend Coco Beach Club - it was worth the money to them.

Overall Experience

Experiencing the ship at 30% capacity was amazing! The crew was very friendly and attentive. Everything you expect in a cruise experience was there. They won't hesitate to book their guests on Royal Caribbean ships out of the Bahamas and elsewhere. 

Thank you Vicki and Royal Caribbean for arranging this opportunity to learn about the experience onboard Adventure of the Seas as you return to cruising. It is comforting to see all the attention to detail that has been put into taking care of our guests onboard your ships as you resume operations.

So What are YOU Waiting For?

Contact Me to Get Back to Cruising

Adventure of the Seas - Nassau Voyages

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I recently completed extensive training and have become Travel Safety Verified. As your dedicated Travel Advisor, your safety is our priority, and it's our job to ensure you have the necessary information you need to give you confidence and peace of mind when making your future travel plans. Click the link to review our Travel Safety program with valuable resources that will answer many of your questions.

Where have you explored? 

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Starting July 7, 2021 our new time will be 4 PM Eastern